Away: Shuffle Dungeon Hands-on

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One of the most promising DS games of the year.

By Daemon Hatfield

We were impressed with what we saw of Away: Shuffle Dungeon at E3 this year. Now we have a review build in the office we've been spending some quality time with. Zelda fans: this could be your 2008 fix. Away is an action adventure game that mixes dungeon exploration with some town management and creature raising mechanics. A lot of voice acting is included, helping to bring this mysterious world to life.

Players control a 17-year old kid named Sword who washed up on the shore of Webb village two years ago. He has adapted well to his new home and has developed a crush on local hottie Anella. But this is no ordinary town: each year a resident mysteriously disappears, a phenomenon the townspeople have dubbed "away." Over 99 years, 99 villagers have gone missing. This year, however, the entire town vanishes, leaving only Sword. He must delve into the shuffle dungeons to rescue everyone, including Anella.

They're called "shuffle dungeons" because the environments are split across the two DS screens and every so often one of the screens will slide off and a new area will be introduced. Players must run back and forth between the screens, being careful not to be caught in the shuffle. If caught, you will lose hit points and that level of the dungeon will be reset. A timer appears in the corner of the screen that will be shuffled next, indicating how much time you have to do your business. After a few shuffles, the stairs leading to the next level will be revealed.

Along with the monsters that dwell in the dungeons, there are inhabitants called Fupongs that will follow Sword around if he encounters them. Fupongs provide the source of his magic. They will trail behind him in single-file, and can be "spent" to cast a spell. Spent Fupongs will turn grey and cannot be used again until Sword moves to the next floor. Different types cast different spells, and up to six can be collected at once. Fupongs can also be caught in a shuffle, though, so you'll have to be careful when a train is following behind you.

Away features RPG aspects like experience points and weapons and armor that raise Sword's stats. Every monster you slay in a dungeon will grant you one experience point. Each cave is guarded by a boss who must be defeated in order to rescue the villager. Then, you have to work your way back through the dungeon up to ground level, with your rescued person in tow. If they get caught in a shuffle, they'll be whisked back down to the bottom floor of the cave.

Bringing residents back to the deserted village will allow them to reopen their shops, giving Sword access to amenities and services. During his dungeon diving affairs, he'll find items that can be used to upgrade the shops back on the surface. Back in the world, you'll also be able to raise your Fupongs by feeding them food you find in dungeons.

Away was developed by an RPG dream team including Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, and their polish is all over this one. The shuffle mechanic is an inventive twist on dungeon exploration, and the sim features available in your village provide nice intermissions to the action. Look for it this fall.